Auxiliary chaffing device



Oct. l, 1940. A' WQEHLERT 2,216,657

AUXILIAR CHAFFING DEVI CE Filed April 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

' BY ADQL'DM WOEHLERT A ORNEY.

ocr. 1, 1940. A, WQEHLERT 2,216,657

AUXILIARY CHAFFING DEVICE Filed April 8, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY` AD'OLDH woEuLERT Patented Oct. l, 1940 UNITED STATES `1 AT11\1T OFFICE AUXTLIARY CHAFFING DEVICE Adolph Woehlert, Milwaukee, Wis. Ap-pncation April s, 1939, serial No. 266,835 v 3 Claims.

To Another object of my invention is to construct the device that it may be applied to any existing separator Without a great amount of mechanical changes or may be built into a separator at a very nominal cost.

A still further object of my Ainvention is to l 1 provide a means that will permit the grain to fall through the device and to construct thev device in a manner to provide a graduated support for the chaff in its travel rearward to the blower. 2'0 It is manifest tol anyone familiar: with grain separating devices that the chair descending from the straw rack very often fills the adjustable challng devices to a degree where the grain cannot find its way through the chaier i215 in its horizontal travelfrom the conveyor. By employing the auxiliary chaffer described herein it. makes it possible for the grain and small chaff to disintegrate and find its Way to the regular adjustable chaffing device, the auxiliary chaffer merely acting as an additional means for separating the grain kernels from the chaff thereby saving the grain that would otherwise be carried with the straw or chaff to the blower and through the blower to the stack.

Other and further objects of my invention ywill become more apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the auxiliary chafing device adaptable to all types of separators.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the arrangement o-f the blades and the manner in which they are spaced.

Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of a portion of the projecting blades taken at line Il--4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 illustrates in cross-section a method of separating and retaining the blades in position by means of sleeves.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary assembly showing the arrangement of the various parts of a grain separator and illustrating the manner in which the auxiliary chatter is installed and,

Figure '7 is a rfragmentary drawing illustrating the auxiliary chaffer and its relation to adjoining parts of the separator mechanism.

Similar charactersof referenceindicate corresponding parts through the several views and .5' referring now to the same the character IIl'in Figurel shows an auxiliary chaffer consisting of 'a plurality of blades II', I2 and I3 held in longitudinal alignment with one another by means of rods i4. The :blades II, I2-and I3 reil@ spectively are all pro-vided with yupwardly projecting members I5 at their tops, these members are arranged in a manner :to permit the chaff or the like to be pushed rearward by the feeding mechanism, at `the same time preventing an accumulation of the chaff. Theblades II extend the entire length of the. device and have their their depending ends corrugated at I6 to prevent any whip action due to the vibration. The blades I2 are disposed at approximately two-thirds of 2b the length of the device while the blades I3 are only one-third ofvits entire length. All blades are retained in a separated position by means of sleeves I'I placed over the rods I4 as shown in cross-section in Figure -5. This arrangement 25 provides a portion of theaux'iliary chaffer having the blades relativelyclose together yet far enough apart to permit'the grain to drop through. A second portion has the blades twice the distance apart as the rst portion of the chaffer and a return portion having the blades arranged in a manner that provides four times the space as the rst portion.

The entire device I0 is provided'with suitable hanging members I8 which permit it being supported at a slight angle in any conventional type of separating assembly as shown in Figure 6 in which the straw rack I9 carries the straw to which the grain is attached into the separator, as it passes along the rack I9 the grain and chaff dropped through onto a conveyor shown as and the return pan 2| catches the grain shaken by the rear of the rack I9 and returns it to the conveyor. Normally in a conventional type of separator the conveyor 20 carries the grain directly ontothe adjustable chafler 22 but by placing my device into use it is only necessary to lower the chafer 22 and place the auxiliary chaifer I0 in direct line with the conveyor 20 at one end and raising the depending end of the auxiliary chaffer I0 to bring it at a slight angle thereby permitting the chaff which descends between the blades II, I2 and I3 of the auxiliary chaffer I0 to contact the adjustable chaffer 22 and accumulate thereon as it is forced by the blower over the adjustable chaier extension 23. In this manner the chaff and grain delivered from the conveyor 20 first contacts the auxiliary chaing device I which permits the grain to drop through with the smaller chaff to the adjustable chaffer 22 preventing thereby the carrying of the grain with the chaff to the wind stack 24. The blower or cleaning fan 24 furnishes an even blast through the lower chaier 26, the adjustable chaifer 22 ,and the auxiliary chaier I0. While the lower chaier is agitated by the arm 2l eccentrically driven from the fan 25. The shoe screen 28 takes out the fo-ul seed and foreign matter and permits the grain to enter the grain auger 29 which delivers the grain to the elevator for sacking, while the grain carried by the blast of the fanl 24 toward the stack fan 25 is prevented from going into the stack by means of the projecting ledge 30 which prevents the grain from sliding upward and over the bottom tray, but causes the grain to descend due to the balile or wind board 3| and the grain reaches the tailing auger 32 which delivers the unthreshed heads to an elevator for return to the cylinder.

The rearward depending ends of the blade Il l have their lower edges bevelled at 33 to eliminate any obstructions With the chaffer extension 23. Obviously the auxiliary chaffer I0 as shown and described affords a positive means of separating the chaff from the grainbefore they Contact the adjustable chaffer. In this manner it functions as a positive means of eliminating the building up or bunching of the chaff or straw joints which in some locations depending on the climatic conditions, presents quite a problem and is responsible for carrying a large quantity of grain with the chaff through the stacker. This grain naturally is lost.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of -parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiments of my invention in order to impart a full clear and exact'understanding of the said embodiments. I do not desire to be understood however as conning myself to the said specific construction and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch as in the future practice of my invention various changes and modications may be made such as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

l. An auxiliary chaiing device adaptable for use with a threshing mechanism of a grain separator incorporating a conveyor and chafer, said device comprising a plurality of horizontal blades disposed parallel to one another, said blades being of various lengths arranged in a manner to provide sections in the device in which the blades are gradually spaced at various distances apart from one another, the depending end of said blades providing the greatest space between them, support rods disposed at right angles to said members, sleeves disposed for engagement with said rods for spacing said blades, all of said blades provided with upwardly extending projectionsV and means for horizontally suspending said device parallel to the conveyor in said separator and at a slight distance above th chaier in said separating mechanism,

2. A device as described in claim l in which the horizontal blades are rigidly attached to said support rods in spaced relation to one another.

3. In combination with a grain threshing mechanism, of a grain separator incorporating a conveyor and chaifer, an auxiliary chafng device of the character described comprising in combination a plurality of blades disposed parallel to one another said blades being of various lengths arranged in a manner to provide graduated sections in the device in which the blades are at various distances apart from one another, the depending ends being the farthest apart, support rods disposed at right angles to said blades the depending ends of the longest blades being cut at an angle and corrugated to provide rigidity and means for supporting said device horizontally so that its one end is at a level with the conveyor in the separating mechanism, the other end raised at slight angle at a slight elevation above the adjustable chaier in said separating mechanism.

ADOLPH WOEHLERT. 

